Mechanical refrigeration



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2 Sheets-Sheet l c. c. SPREEN MECHANICAL REFRIGERATION Original Filed Jan. 2, 1925 (harks 3.8procn Z Inven- Attorneys l \u m m m w "M u 2 z I M. m a m a w n 1 z J a m k a w M m u z m m M v w m z v M Z I I m W\ m a o o a I! I I I I I I l I l I l I I l I I l l I l ll m... H U M n n u u M T m .u n m a a "Y 1 n 2 U n n u u u n u u M I'll i June 17, 1930.-

June 17, 1930. cf c. SPREEN MECHANICAL REFRIGERATION Original Filed Jan. 2, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 fla r m 2% if .r a: m

Patented June 17, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CHARLES C. SPREEN, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO KEL'VINATOR CORPORATION. OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN MECHANICAL REFRIGERATION= 1 Original application filed January 2, 1925, Serial No. 133. Divided and this application filed November 5, 1925. Serial No. 66,981.

My invention relates to mechanical refrigeration and the principal object of my invention is to provide new and improved apparatus for this purpose, this application 5 being a division of my co-pending application Serial No. 133 filed January 2, 1925. In the drawings accompanying this specification and forming a part thereof I have shown, for purposes of illustration, one form which my invention may assume. In these drawmgs:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of this illustrative embodiment of my invention,

Figure 2is a section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a section on the line 33 of Figure 2, l

Figure 4 is a section on the line 44 of Fi ure 3, while 0 igure 5 is a section on the line 5--5 of Figure 3.

. The device shown herein comprises a cabinet 139 having a front wall 138, side walls 148 'and 24, a rear wall 140, a top 136, and a partition 152 separating the cabinet into a compressor chamber 153 and a refrigerated chamber 150; The front wall 138 is provided with an aperture extending substan: tially the entire height of the refrigerated compartment 150 and closed by a door 31, and with an aperture 32 extending substantially the entire height of the compressor compartment 153 and closed by a door 33.

Disposed within the refrigerated chamber 150 is a refrigerating apparatus 130 conslsting of abrine tank 133 containing the usualexpansion coil (not -,shown), an expansion valve 131 mounted above the brine tank 133 and controllin the flow of compressed refrigerant' into 51c expansion coil, and a thermostat 132 positioned within the expansion coil end turns also mounted above the brine tank 133. The brine tank 133 is supported in the refrigerated chamber150 by means of a cradle consisting of a pair of straps 134 each secured by bolts 135 to the cabinet top 4136. The expansion valve 131 is supported in part by the duct 44 connecting it with the expansion coil and partly by the duct leading to the expansion valve 131 from the condenser, while the expansion coil end turns 40 are supported in part by the duct 46 connecting these end turns with the main body of the expansion coil and partly by the duct 47 leading from the expansion coil end turns 40 to the intake of the compressor.

The refrigerating apparatus 130 is surrounded by a shield 137 extending the entire distance from the front wall 138 of the cabinet 139 to the cabinet rear wall 140 and comprising a front plate 141 extending upwardly to the cabinet top wall 136 and provided with an aperture 142'arranged to afford access to ice pans 143 in the brine tank aperture 144, a side wall 145 extending upwardly on one side of the refrigerating apparatus 130 to a point adjacent the cabinet top wall 136, and a base 146 terminating in an upturned lip 147 spaced from the cabinet side wall 148 and sloping into a depression 10 communicating with a drain duct 149 provided within the refrigerating chamber 150 with a goose-neck 151 and then continuing, through the partition 152 separating the refrigerated chamber 150 from the compressor chamber 153, into a tank 154.disposed within the turns of the condenser 155. 7

' The refrigerant feed duct 45, the refrigerant return duct 47, the wires 60 from the switch 38, and the drain duct 149, all pass through the refrigerated chamber 150 and partition 152 into the compressor compart-- ment 153 where the refrigerant supply duct 45 is connected to the outlet of a condenser 155, the refrigerant return duct 47 is connected to the inlet 63 ofa compressor 64 con- 7 nected by means of a duct 200 to the other 'end of the condenser 155, the wires 60 extend to .the motor 65 connected to the compressor 64'by means of a belt 66, and the drainduct 149 extends to a point above and empties into the tank 154, this tank 154 being sufficiently large to hold the entire vflow from a defrosting of the brine tank 133 and formed to hold this fluid until it is evaporated by the heat from'the surrounding condenser 155,

In this embodiment of my invention-the motor 65 and compressor 64 and condenser 62 are mounted upon a common base 67 slidably mounted upon guide-ways 68 carried by the lower ends of the side walls 148 and 24 of the cabinet 139.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that in the embodiment of my invention herein disclosed the various portions of the apparatus are located in a single unitary cabinet and mounted in a manner to secure maximum utilization of space and at the same time satisfactory operating efficiency, the shield positioned about the brine tank serves not only as a drip pan to collect condensate but also to induce and assist circulation of the air between the space about the refrigerating apparatus and the space beneath the shield, t e embodiment of my invention provides an extremely simple form of refrigerating apparatus which can be manufactured at a minimum cost and maintained in operation with a minimum of expense, the constructionof a single member to serve as a drip pan and to induce circulation permits the omission of one part heretofore necessary, the provision of the shield front plate permits the formation of the cabinet with a door extending the full height of the cabinet and thus permits the use of a single door rather than the two doors heretofore customary, the use of the gooseneck in the drain duct maintains a seal to prevent the entrance of insects into the refrigerated chamber, particularly during the long periods between defrosting during which there is normally little or no flow from the drip pan, and the use of the tank disposed within the turns of the condenser coil and receiving the water from the drain duct provides means for evaporating the entire flow from the drain duct, even that occurring during the periodic defrosting.

It will therefore be apparent to those skilled in the -art that the apparatus shown herein embodies a large number of advantages over apparatus heretofore in use, both those advantages which I have specifically enumerated, or suggested ,and other advantages which Ilfave neither enumerated nor suggested but which are nevertheless present, It will also be apparent to those skilled in the art that the particular form of my invention herein shown and described may be variously changed and modified without departing from the spirit of my invention or sacrificing these advantages. It will therefore be understood that this disclosure is illustrative only and that my invention is not limited thereto.

I claim:

1. A. refrigerator unit comprising a cabinet having a refri erated chamber, refrigerating apparatus isposed in said chamber compressor mechanism disposed exteriorly of. said chamber comprising a condenser coil operatively connected to said refri crating apparatus, an open tank positione within the turns of said condenser coil in position to be subjected to the heat from said condenser coil, drip pan means disposed below said refrigerating apparatus, a duct leading from said drip pan means to said tank, and a liquid tray interposed in said duct within a refrigerated space.

2. A mechanical refrigerator unit comprising a cabinet having a refrigerator chamber, means to catch and collect and convey away liquid from said chamber, refrigerating mechanism disposed exteriorly of said chamber and of a type having a condenser which gives off heat, and a tank arranged to receive such liquid and positioned exteriorly of said chamber within said condenser to thus receive heat from said condenser.

33. A mechanical refrigerator unit comprising a cabinet having a refrigerator chamber, a refrigerating apparatus therein and of a type which is defrosted periodically, means to catch and collect and carry away the liquid resulting from such a defrosting, refrigerating mechanism disposed exteriorly of said chamber'and of a'type "having a condenser which gives off heat, and receptacle means arranged to receive 'such liquid and to hold the entire liquid from a single such defrosting and positioned exteriorly of said chamber within said condenser to thus receive heat from saidcondenser.

' 4. In an electric household refrigerator, a condensing coil located in a separate condensing chamber in the bottom of said re: frigerator, compressor adapted to convey a refrigerating medium under pressure into said condensing coil, a refrigerating cooling means located in a separatecooling chamber inside the top of. said refrigerator, and a drip drain pipe extending through the bottom floor of said cooling chamber and down through the top floor of said condensing chamber, the lower end of said drip pipe being over the condensing coil.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

CHARLES C. SPREEN. 

